Constitution Day (Sept. 17) Panel Discussion on Supreme Court Reform

Growing numbers of politicians, activists, and scholars have been calling for reforms to the United States Supreme Court.  Not since the 1930s have significant reform proposals gained such prominence in public life; some have even endorsed the idea of "packing" the Court by adding additional seats in an effort to change its ideological balance. Our panel will consider the value of an independent judiciary as balanced against a judiciary that, to some degree, reflects the commitments of the American people. They will discuss the history of Supreme Court reform proposals, both those that were implemented and those that were not, as well as reforms currently being considered, what they are designed to achieve and the likelihood of any of these proposals being implemented.

Key topics that will be addressed:

• past Supreme Court reforms--most notably the fluctuating number of justices in the 19th century
• past proposals for Supreme Court reform—most notably the Court-packing plan of 1937
• key reform proposals today: Court-packing, jurisdiction limitations, "balanced bench," term limits
• the political circumstances that gave rise to current calls for Court reform
• the difficult path to implementing any Court reforms

To register to attend, follow this link.